Pizzeria Libretto

Pizzeria Libretto has been open less than a week and it's already getting more pixel buzz than the latest Britney meltdown, Pizzeria Libretto could possibly be the best pizza in the city and all it takes is a quick chat with proud business partners Max Rimaldi and Rocco Agostino to understand why: they're both insanely passionate about what they're doing.

Going so far as to have their wood-burning oven built by a Neapolitan craftsman and their pizzas conforming to rigorous D.O.P. pizza making strictures, you could call them obsessed and you wouldn't be far off the mark. Lucky for you too, since all this attention to detail from picking the freshest local produce, making much of their own salumi and importing some of the best cheeses and tomatoes straight from Italy on a daily basis really makes the food something special.

Walking up to the Ossington shop-front on opening night with a couple of dining companions (enlisted so we can savour as much variety as possible) I'm vaguely concerned since there seems to be a small crowd loitering outside and the space looks rather tight with people lined elbow-to-slice along the window-side bar facing the street.

Since Libretto doesn't take reservations we briefly entertain the sad reality of take out until we walk thru the door, our nervous, first-date-with-the-new-place jitters melting back into excitement as we're greeted by a faint hint of wood smoke and notice the friendly modern space stretches longer than the truth in a good fishing story, deep into the back. We manage to snag a seat near the oven and get to watch the action unfold as a steady stream of pies is finessed amid a flurry of flour and chef's whites.

Since we visit opening night, a few service hiccups are to be expected but I'm pleasantly surprised by how friendly, competent and engaging the staff are always pausing to make sure your wine glass is full and ready to help with the daunting task of narrowing down the menu.

A complimentary basket of bread and peppery olive oil drizzled with balsamic makes its way to our table so we decide to split an app and casually snack, focusing our attention on the difficult task of whether we want thick rings of toothsome, deep fried Buttermilk Calamari a la Romesco ($9) or something from the salumi i formaggi finally forgoing both for one of several bruschette on the menu: ours dressed with garlicky licoricy-tinged basil pesto genovese and thick pepper-pink, slices of spicy house-made sausage all sprinkled with pleasantly tart, salty chevre ($6).

Tucking in, we are quickly introduced to what's to become a recurring theme this evening: balance. All the flavours are very thoughtfully chosen; all the ingredients painstakingly selected and exceedingly fresh and everything playing so well off each other you can't help but be seduced.

The pizzas arrive en masse as requested to better share the spoils and they look fantastic with a distinctive leopard-spot char and blistered at the edges from the wood fire. And they certainly don't disappoint on the flavour front. The prosciutto pizza ($15) comes layered with salty, paper thin strips of pink parma ham, mild, gooey mozzarella that counterpoints the smoky char of plump tomatoes, and crowned with a bright green tangle of fresh basil.

The mild fishiness of the sardine pizza ($13, pictured above)--not salty at all as you'd expect-- comes sans cheese and provides another example of perfectly balanced construction as the pizza's citrus infused olives provide both the majority of the salty note along with a wonderful tang that elevates the seafood taste. With a hit of fresh herb and chilli oil heat the result is nothing short of amazing.

Even the vehemently anti-piscivorous element at the table agrees that this pizza's something special; the whole greater than the sum of its humble parts. The third member of our naughty "threesome" once again features slices of house-made sausage coupled with fruity caramelised onion ($13) that mixes sweet and spice in perfect proportion with a mellow hit of the excellent mozz and is a real highlight of the meal demonstrating Chef Agostino's deft touch at combining flavours.

As we gleeful exhaust ourselves on the excellent feast and drain the second bottle of our reasonably priced red wine, the attention of the party turns to the crust. Far from being simply a medium for the toppings, it adds yet another excellent flavour note (as it should), combining its crisp, toothsome texture with a smoky char that doesn't mute the toppings but seems like a natural addition to the flavour palate that would definitely undermine the mix in its absence.

After our outstanding meal and greedily spooning the last mouthful of fragrantly citrus-y and impossibly light panna cotta with bluberry compote ($7) into my gaping maw, I chat briefly with Max who entheuses that there's a longstanding rivalry between Roman and Neapolitan style crusts (purists starting regular flame wars usually reserved for the Canon/Nikon debate) and gushingly proud of which side of the feud he zealously supports.

Roman pies, he informs, are much crackerier and provide a signature crunch where Neapolitan style pizza is slightly doughier, lending a subtle, bready chew to the pizza.

He's very proud of what his new joint offers and with good reason, there's really nothing like it anywhere in the city and for once all the advanced Chowhound foodie hype seems deserved. He excitedly talks about how much time was spent on picking the ingredients and how important it was to get everything right before he opened his doors. He even mentions that because he's offering proper Neapolitan pizza he's actually subject to surprise inspections by the Naples pizza police who guarantee that anyone wanting their stamp of approval meets the standards they set forth.

It sounds utterly silly, shamefully cliche not to mention inappropriate for a restaurant review but I'm convinced I can taste a little love poking through the heady mix of flavours. This city's blessed indeed to find the occasional establishment run by people just a little bit crazy about what they do. They're true believers and want their patrons to understand why they love what they do.

It's abundantly clear out of the gate that Pizzeria Libretto is one of those places. So am I in love? Dunno. I think it'll take another visit to know for sure. Right now I can safely say I do have a mad crush since Max and Rocco's pizza is all I've been thinking about for the past couple of days.

All photos courtesy of Aislinn Laffan.

Discussion

63 Comments

Heh, I just ate there tonight and I'd have to say the home-made sausage with carmelized onions was a "miss". Overly sweet (like dessert), very oily, not at all spicy. And no tomatoes - only one or two of their "pizzas" have tomato sauce. Call me old-fashioned, but pizza needs tomato sauce.

I live nearby and I love pizza and I've got high hopes for them, but I think their menu still has some kinks in it. I'll eat there again, and try something different this time.

Ive been twice since they opened, and I'm sry somechick but they have one upped Terroni. Their Margherita pizza is absolutely amazing. This is my new favorite pizza place in Toronto and the best the TeeOoo has to offer.

My fiancee and I both love Terroni, and I'm sure we'll still eat there on occasion, but our dinner at Libretto the other night was better than any we've had recently at Terroni. The food was delicious, the service was excellent, and the atmosphere was casual and laid back. All in all, a great new restaurant.

Terroni does an outstanding job of producing the sparsely-topped, overly thin and overly crisp crust pizza that Torontonians seem to love. But Libretto is the place that Italian food lovers and pizza lovers in this city have been waiting for. Real pizza doesn't have tons of tomato sauce, nor is it loaded in cheese. Real pizza crust doesn't taste like a cracker. Libretto is real pizza.

And I'm going to completely disagree with Anon. Went there the other night and of the six pizzas my party tried, my sausage/caramelized onion choice was the overwhelming favorite.

Went to Libretto on Friday night. Shared a beet salad w. goat cheese & pistachios as an starter - it was pretty good. Our mains, a Margharita and a sausage pizza, were outstanding. The sausage pizza was especially delicious. Reasonable prices, and a casual & energetic atmosphere solidified that I'd be back, even if it's only for takeout.

No spelt crust, and no notification before we ordered. Weak, as I prefer spelt, and they so proudly boast this in the menu. The caprese salad was great - a creamy centred burrata. The pizza was the "quattro" something-or-other, and was, well, weak. The service was crap. The wait was insanely long - like a 2 hour dinner with apps and all, and our waitress never brought us water glasses for our "purified water". I couldn't hear ANYTHING - I felt like I had just stepped out of an action flick when I left. The waitress had no idea how to pour wine, so I was quite annoying when she humorously informed us that it was HER job to pour the wine, as she so graciously spilled it everywhere. She told me to keep my cutlery, but then took it 5 minutes later, only to never return with a replacement. "All done?" as I was crust-in-hand, just finishing mine, which is a pet peeve of most to feel rushed.
I was just disappointed the whole deal, and I, most likely, won't be back. Just a shame when the place is local, and you know there was potential. Back to the Golden Turtle!

I went with my fiance and a couple of friends on a Friday night. It was packed but very comfortable.

Terroni? No way. This place beats it on pies alone. The best traditional pizza I've had in the city.

On top of this, the appetizers were amazing (the wild boar prosciutto was a sensory experience!), the desserts were light and delicious, and I was served one of the best americanos I've had in this town.

The service was excellent as well; the good, cheap house white wine was an excellent recommendation.

This place tops the unbelievably pretentious Terroni on taste, service, and style.

our server ("gerardo") was incredibly curt and aloof. his unprofessionalism was astounding. i'm shocked he has a job in the service industry, especially in a new restaurant where the quality of service means the difference between becoming a regular & never coming back.

Went tonight and it was fantastic.
Split two appetizers: the grilled calamari and the gnocchi with rabbit and both were perfectly seasoned. Not too overpowering; yet perfectly delicious.
Then for a main course, I split 2 pizzas: the prosciutto, arugula and parmesan, as well as the mozzarella, house-made sausage and caramelized onions. Both pizzas were unreal, and perfectly complemented each other, one being salty and the other being a savory sweet pie (tasted like there was some nutmeg or cinnamon in the sausage).
I have never been to Terroni, but I feel obliged to just to make a comparison. It'll be hard to find a pizza in Toronto, where the pizza scene is so dim, that can compare.

Just came back. This spot is unbelievable. I have never tasted pizza this good in my life. The dough and crust is sublime. Toppings are unique, and the service is efficient. Will be back soon! (puts other pizza in this city to shame!)

Hi Owner of Pizzeria Libretto
I hope that you agree with me. The "OBAMA" mania affects almost everyone including myself & the "OBAMA" pizza just proved it. As you know that Italy is KING of pizza, therefore, I developed the "BERLUSCONI" pizza which would make Italian very proud. I strongly believe it would be the most profitable investement for many generations without any financial risk. Also,it would attract millions new customers not to mention about free commercial for your restautrant around the world!If you decide to add this completely new, very profitable & historic pizza to your menu then more inf. will be available. Now up to you.
Best regards
Walter Bujalski

What a joke. Waited 1.25 hrs for a table on a Saturday night - but I had to find out what the pizza tasted like. We ordered 3 different pies to get a sampling. The dough is authentic, the sauce is authentic but they roll out the pizza way to thin. Consequently, the sauce makes the center of the pizza wet. Yuk.
The dried meat platter was excellent. The overall taste and price of the pizza ($16.95) is not worth it.

Avoid this place. I will not be going back. This place can even hold the shoes for Terroni!

Pizza Libretto served me one of the better meals I have had in a long time. I am a firm believer in expectations. I did my research so I expected the communal tables, and the line ups. I looked at the menu online so I also knew what the prices were. My date and I sat at the bar which actually became just as if not more intimate than a table setting. We shared the buttermilk calamari, cured meat for 2 and olives. The calamari was delicious and perfectly cooked. The prosciutto and capicola were incredible, and the olives were good (there were just too many for 2 people). We then shared the margherita pizza which had crunch and some chewiness to it. The sauce was sweet and delicious with just enough cheese and basil. We finished off the night with my date having the chocolate gelati and myself having a tiramisu. Both deserts were delicious and even the cappuccino’s we had had no bitterness you can sometimes get. Outstanding.

Come on! Terroni is way better than this place.
Libretto is good mind you, really good, but I wouldnt say it's the "best fuckin pizza" like this writer did.
Like most write ups of this place, it's based 80% on being on Ossington, and 20% on food, because Terroni's definitely tastes better. I would argue if they had an ossington or dundas west location they would top everyone's list.
that, plus the snobby servers here are a definite turn off.

I'm sad for the few people who didn't enjoy Libretto, because my Italian friend and I finally made it out there for dinner recently and it was great. The prix fixe is an incredible deal, only $25 for mixed bruschetta appetizers, choice of salads (tomatoes and fresh cheese was divine), any pizza on the menu and a choice of fresh fruit based dessert. Everything was fabulously prepared, the place itself lively and fun...servers were gracious and expedient...

I make my own pizza and do a pretty good job but was joyfully humbled by my visit to Libretto.

Food: I had the grilled calamari & pizza was the Quattro Stagione. Calamari was very good & filling, good for take out. The pizza was awesome, I practically licked the tomato sauce from the plate.
Liquor: Red which went extremely well with the pizza (I overheard another table mention that their wines had vastly improved).
Service: Our server was very friendly, but not annoying, paced well to check up on our table. Actually the entire staff was all smiles & giggles despite the frenetic pace and hustle of...
Atmosphere: Rustic(but I love wood so...), warm, trendy but not modern cold. The music was a pleasant mix of recognizeable fun pop, dance & rock music.
Price: $40 per head x 3 persons (I find this reasonable for this experience)
Verdict: I had a smashing time and felt very full. My only complaint was the wait time, a little over 1 hour from original 30-45 min quote which even that was trying our patience. I do havwe to say though that I like (and wish all restaurants adopted) the cell call when your table's ready from the Hostess.

I went for dinner at Libretto's yesterday night. It was quite busy for a Wednesday night. The wait time is 45 mins to 1 hr so if you are planning to dine there, be prepared to wait. The pizza was definitely worth the wait though. My friends and I waited 10-15 mins for our food. I ordered the hot pepper and sausage pizza and it was delicious, especially the crust. They were a little stingy on the toppings though. I had a total of 6 small pieces of sausages. My friends ordered the Salami pizza and the Proscuitti and Arugula pizza and they were all equally good.

Ohh, I read above that there is wating to get a table... I was so lucky to be there at lunch and it was empty! Me and my friends were looking for somewhere to eat, on a monday or tuesday I guess, when Toronto restaurants are almost all closed! We were on foot (tourists.... ahhaha) and we found a pizzeria open and we went in. The best one ever.

went with a group of friends, some pizzas were okay, some soggy and undercooked, some burned, but mostly- over-hyped, over priced, and did not enjoy my pizza at all. The only good part was the espresso and gelato.

Went for my birthday yesterday. Some of the best service I've ever received at a restaurant. The food is fantastic! Just be sure to get there early or else you'll end up waiting a long time to get in and that's no fun.

I've been here twice, but never again. It's not the food, pizza is great, it's the wait times. Why they don't take reservations I don't know, but until they do I won't be back. I'm not waiting 2 hrs on a thursday night just to sit down, thats nuts.

Tried Libretto's pizza last night and it was great! My father is from Naples and we spent quite some time there so I can compare...! I can absolutely recommend it! Will try Terroni next time, can't wait!

Just O.K. overpriced for nothing special we went to the new Danforth and got takeout it was very busy over 1hr wait to eat in. My wife and I had two different pizzas and a salad. The salad was seriously 5 bites, spring greens are not expensive for $15 I couldn't believe it when I opened it up we thought it was a joke, pathetic. I think their business will die down after the hype if this standard continues.

I was in love with this place the first time I tried their duck confit and pear pizza. Amazing crust and nice blend of toppings. However the subsequent 3 times I've been here I've been consistently disappointed. Burnt black crusts, and soggy centers due to overly stretched out dough left me with ash covered hands and oil dripping down my wrists. Not attractive, not tasty, and definitely not worth my time or money.

This is a terrible place to take a date because of the noise and the likelihood that you'll be seated at one of the communal tables if it's busy. You'll find that it's easier to hear the guy next to you chewing than your date across the table.

YUM YUM YUM! Authentic pizza, always tastes FRESH! Their lunch special is a great deal... $15 for a regular sized 'za, salad, and dessert! I've been trying to make the rounds on other Napoletan pizza in the city (queen margharita, terroni...) and libretto definitely takes the cake, so far!

"authentic"? what a garbage term, especially for what is ostensibly billed as "peasant food". how stupid can you be? cheap food for poors would never have been anything other than a way to use up leftover ingredients just before spoilage. if you want the "authentic" experience, you're better off going to 2-4-1 and hoping its one of the weeks they're about to be shut down for health violations. try to find a scholarly history on the history of pizza...just try. it's all a marketing gimmick and i'm sick of paying for it only to be treated to soggy centres and ashen crusts.

It seems like everyone on the comments is just grumpy they had to wait over an hour for a table. Do your research, people! It's not their fault that they're so busy. The service is really efficient, so the wait time is only due to popularity.

Seriously, this is the nummiest pizza I've had. If you're prepared to wait for a table, it's definitely worth it. My brothers and I always go here for a birthday treat and it's the best.

All the food is delicious and the service is exceptional. Every time I've gone, the servers have always been really friendly and helpful. They'll offer recommendations and explain an ingredient if you don't understand, and considering it's always packed, the food comes really quickly.

Had a wonderful lunch there today. The best pizza I've ever had. We were visiting from Montreal and came at the recommendation of our daughter. We both ordered the prix fixe menu. For an extra $5 you can have the pizza of your choice. I had the white anchovy pizza and my husband had the homemade sausage pizza. My pizza was just amazing. The crust was perfectly done. The homemade fresh tomato sauce perfectly complemented the topping of anchovy (not the usual tinny tasting canned type) and yummy roasted garlic. Added to that were thin slices of fresh hot pepper just to add that special zing. The white beet salad we ordered to accompany the pizza was a work of art. Where on earth can one find white beets? They were superb, interspersed with fresh mozzarella, topped with yummy fresh sprouts and drizzled withva perfect blend of balsamic vinegar and olive oil. The service was super friendly without being over solicitous. As a nice surprise we were offered a complimentaryvGamay to welcome us to Toronto.
I can't wait to return. Perhaps tomorrow?

way, WAY over rated. I think that everyone is so blown away by the reputation and the beautifully worded descriptions... locally grown this, locally sourced that, small independent producer in Niagara, etc, makes it sound like it should be delicious. The pizza I had was completely bland. The emperor wears no clothes folks. I will, however, give them credit for the crust which was excellent. I'll stick to Terroni for now.

After hearing all the hype about Libretto and Queen Margherita, my wife and I went to the Danforth to try the Libretto pizza. We were so incredibly disppaointed that we sent it back after taking a few bites. Basically it was soggy. The San Marzano tomato topping was not very tasty and the mozzarella was hard and not at all melted. Could this have been an off night? Not sure - but I felt like I was eating Wonder Bread with a cheese and tomoato topping. I would suggest trying the Margherita Pizza at Cafe Nervosa in Yorkville - always sumblime - tangy, flavourful tomato sauce, creamy melted cheese and a tasty, crisp crust.

I had heard such great things about Pizza Libretto that I was so excited to try it. I went there with some foodie type friends who like to be impressed. We arrived at 7pm and were put on the wait list, being told it would take 45 minutes to get our table. In the meantime we went to a near by bar for a couple drinks while we waited. After 45 minutes we called to see if our table was ready and it was not. After an hour and a half we called again and the table was still not ready. We decided to walk over and wait anyways. Right as we were arriving, (2 hrs later at this point) we were called and told our table was ready.
After having waited 2 hours for a table, I would have expected a restaurant with such high recommendation, to be very accommodating, offering us some free drinks or appetizers on the house but nothing was offered. The food was not overly impressive to me. It was just pizza. The best thing about the place was if you order a bowl of olives they come warm, but aside from that it was just a regular restaurant to me. At the end of the night our bill was brought (with everything on it) and no apologies to accompany it. I was embarrassed that this is the place I had chosen to bring my friends to. I asked to speak to the manager and explained the situation to him. He told me that we had only been waiting for 1 hour and was sorry that we had to wait an extra 15 minutes. I was so insulted! We waited a full 2 hours (I have proof on my phone!) and instead of being apologetic for our experience, he was being rude to me. In the end he removed our appetizers from our bill, but it was not enough to make me return. The rude service and average food I can do without.

If you're eating alone, there's a good chance you'll be able to skip the staggering wait times and grab a seat by yourself at the bar. Score! The pizza itself wasn't the best I've ever had in my life, but I'm enough of a connoisseur that my standards are really high. That being said, it was still delicious and I was well attended by waitstaff - all round good times.

do you really expect a restaurant to give free stuff because they're busy? wouldn't that mean that...oh...EVERY SINGLE CUSTOMER got free appetizers? they're busy because people believe it's worth the wait, and i would rather have it that way than eat in a place that's rushing me out the door so they can rush the next crowd in.

Lauren, I'm not sure if you actually read what I wrote but I never said I expected a restaurant to 'give me free stuff because they're busy'. I was told the wait would be 45 minutes and it was 2 hours. That is a fairly big difference, and if I was told in the first place that the wait would be 2 hours I could have chosen if I wanted to wait that long or not. If you are going to quote someone a wait time, you shouldn't be off by over an hour.
Then, if you continue to read what I wrote above, it says that once I spoke to the manager about this he told me I had only waited half that time. In my opinion, if a customer is unhappy with their experience it's better business to try to make sure they will happily return instead of calling them a liar.

Service: Bad
Food: 2 points out of 5
If you have ever had real Italian pizza you will be disappointed, if you are used to Pizza Pizza or Boston Pizza you will be WOW! after a very bad service finally got my Cremini Mushroom pizza, it looked awesome and guess what! Too good to be true, dough was very soggy, not crispy at all but better than Pizza Pizza! Please read my review:
After been wanting to try Pizzeria Libretto, I finally did it on a Sunday night, dining room was full so I was asked to go to a bar around(I wasn't feeling like drinking alcohol) and they were going to call me, came back about 30 minutes later, we were two, so if a table for for four or a booth became available, 3 or 4 people have priority over you, even if they came after, if there are two people you have to wait for a 2 people table, I was hoping the wait would be worth it, so as I sat on the table we ordered, people who came after us got their food before us, the only thing I could think of is that they were out of mushrooms, still waited about 45 minutes until our orders were brought to the table, by this time people who came after us were already paying! I am sure they think service is fast! ha Now I will try Terroni, I hope I get better service or if service is bad at least maake sure pizza is better! Libretto not worth it, Certified Real Neapolitana pizza? certified by who? By the Canadian Auto Workers Union?

Went there for the first time after many friends were raving about it, was not disappointing. Best pizza I had was in Italy,(naples) in the summer, and this pizza reminded me of it.. The Nduja Sausage Pizza was amazing, the Margherita was good (but not like italy).. That being said , the service was good. The wait time was a hour for a table of 4 at 730 on Saturday. But they send you a text message so you can go have a beer or coffee down the street and come back. Defiantly will be back to try the rest of the pizza's on the menu.